Montag-ue



4 A- i Y 3 Jl- VQ F. A. LAMONTAGUE, OF MONTREAL, CANADA.

CAR D-CAS E.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 58,357, dated September 25, 18366.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS AUGUSTE Lft- MONTAGUE, ot the city of Montreal, British Province of Canada, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gard-Cases; and Ido hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the artto make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure l is a longitudinal and vertical sectionof the card-case. Fig. 2 is a plan. Fig. 3 is atransverse and vertical section.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction of card-cases with a combination of springs and slides for the discharge of a card at a time from the case without opening the lid, by simply pressing upon a slide on the top with the finger. For the use of ladies, especially, to carry visiting-cards, it will be found extremely convenient, and may be formed in any style of fashion or taste, of any suitable material, wood, metal, hard rubber, papiermach, ivory, or mother-of-pearl. Any number of cards may be discharged successively until all contained in the case are delivered.

In order to enable others to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation. i

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the frame or body of the card-ease, and B the lid. To the bottom of the case are fastened, at their center, two elliptic steel springs, a. ai, which support on their ends a hat metal plate, b, that tits on the inside so as to move freely up and down by the expansion and depression of the springs. rlhe plate b is kept in proper position and guided in its movements up and down by lugs c c at the sides, which tit in recesses or grooves d d on the inner sides of the case, running from the top to the bottom7 Figs. 2 and 3. The cards are placed 011 the metal.

plate I), as shown in Fig.4 1, and for the purpose ot' holding them down iirmly upon it two little metal laps, s s, Figs. 1 and 2, are placed on the sides of thecase at thetop, near the end 5 or instead, a narrow band of metal (indicated by dotted lines in red) may extend across the plate, under which band thev cards are to be inserted when they are introduced. In the delivery end of the'cardfcase is fastened at one end, to the bottom, a halflelliptic steel spring, c, Figs. l and 3, on the end of whichis attached a little pin or rod, f, that rises tothe top of the case, the oflice of which `is to bear up against the top card and guide it in its discharge from the case through acrevice or slit, h, immediately under the lid B1, across the case, as seen in Fig. 1.

On the top of the lid of the ease is attached a narrow metal plate, t', running lengthwise, in which is a slot, It, Fig. 2, which passes through the lid, in the body of which it is enlarged so as to form a race, m, Figs. 1 and 8, for a iiat o val spiral spring, n, to lie and travel in. One end of this spring n is fastened at the end of the racem, toward the delivery side of the case, and upon the other or free V-end is attached a slide, 0, which plays in the slot L'. The slide passes through the lid to the under side, where it terminates in a little india-rubber pad or cushion 5 or instead, two or more pins are set in the end, as shown in Fig. 3, the of [ice of which device is to bear upon the top of a card and press it forward when it is discharged. 'Ihe slide ois hung loosely on the top plate of the race m, with the spring sc-v oured to the bottom of an arm projectingfrom its rear, so that it presses and holds the card in its forward motion, and merely slides over it on its return without touching or marking the card.

The mode of using my card-case can be readily understood. The desired number of cards is introduced by placing them on the plate l) and slipping them, at one end, under the laps s s, the springs a, a being depressed till they are quite iiat at the bottom, if necessary. The

upper end of the pinf on the spring c extends up in front of the narrow end of the cards, as exhibited in Fig. 1.

The lid ofthe case having been closed and secured by the snap, it is then ready for use. To discharge a card from the case the slide 0 is pushed forward with the forelinger or thumb, when the pad or set of pins on the lower side of the slide bears down on the upper card and carries it along with it, the front end being kept up and guided into the crevice [L by thc pin f on the spring e. rI he slide being released from the pressure ofthe n ger, it leaves the card, and, by the action of the spiral spring, ies back to its place, and is then ready to act upon the next card in the same manner, the springs a. a pressing the cardslying on the pla-te b up against thelid in succession until all that have been introduced are discharged.

I do not conne myself to the precise forms and arrangements of the several parts and dcvices of my invention as above described, as they admit ot' various modifications Without departure from the principle of its construction and operation; but,

Having described it fully, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America, is

l. The spring-slide o, provided with beveled teeth, so hung in the race m and combined With the spring c as to press and hold the card on its forward motion, and slide back over the cards Without contact, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

2. The spring c and pin f in the forward part of the box A, guiding the card in its discharge and preventing more than one card being forced out at the same time, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

3. The elliptic springs a a?, slotted plate b, having lugs c, spring c, and pin f, slotted plate t', and toothed spring-slide o, arranged in combination with the slotted lid B and case A, provided with guide and holding laps s and grooves d, operating substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

F. A. LAMONTAGUE.

Witnesses:

G. G. B. DRUMMOND, CHARLES LEGGE. 

